From The Hollywood Reporter · Alex Weprin · · 1m 20s
Late Night TV's Last Stand
Late night TV's final season is near as networks slash budgets and shift to digital.
In brief
Late night TV's final season is near as networks slash budgets and shift to digital. Late night TV's decline is driven by falling ad revenue and a shift to digital platforms. Originally reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
Lorne Michaels' Last Stand
Lorne Michaels insists he'll stay with SNL to protect its resources despite rumors of retirement.
“To protect SNL and all of its absurd wasteful use of resources, he needs to stick around.”
Kimmel's Contract Talks
ABC and Jimmy Kimmel are negotiating a one-year extension with significant budget cuts.
“Kimmel and ABC were in talks for another one-year contract extension but the network wants serious budget cuts.”
Late Night Budget Cuts
Late night shows have cut production days, house bands, and other elements to save costs.
“The Tonight Show and Late Night have had budget cuts, cutting days of production and the house band.”
Ratings Decline
Late night ratings have dropped significantly since Jay Leno's peak, with Kimmel averaging 2.7 million viewers.
“Kimmel averages north of 2.7 million viewers in Q2, up from previous years.”
YouTube's Rise
YouTube is becoming the new home for late night talent with personalized content formats.
“Late night TV gets reconstituted in your feed, a personalized set of preferences.”
Conan O'Brien's Shift
Conan O'Brien left TV after seeing YouTube's potential for late night content.
“That was the moment the scales fell from my eyes. If a guy can do World Series numbers with overhead about $600, that's when I understood late night shows are in trouble.”
Digital Shift
Late night TV is moving to digital platforms where creators can avoid network censorship.
“The next generation of late night TV is forming online, not on TV.”
FCC Pressure
The FCC's actions are accelerating budget cuts for late night shows.
“The fact that Kimmel's deal came amid an FCC-driven war against ABC only heightens the pressure.”
Chelsea Handler's View
Chelsea Handler calls late night TV an outdated, stale environment for modern audiences.
“Why would I watch? Five white guys, talk about the most stale environment.”
The Future
New digital platforms will host late night talent with fresh content and no network constraints.
“The next generation of late night TV is already forming online, just not on TV.”
The one thing
Late night TV's decline is driven by falling ad revenue and a shift to digital platforms.
